160 volunteer men mobilised to boost healthcare access in Bauchi

160 men have been engaged as a volunteer support group to promote and boost access to healthcare service delivery in Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The men are operating under the Fathers for Good Health (F4H) initiative, a programme supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office.

The Fathers for Good Health Initiative seeks to leverage fathers’ influence within their communities to encourage wider acceptance and uptake of vaccines and other essential healthcare services.

As the 2025 Father’s Day was marked recently, the positive impact of the Father4Health initiative has been commended by various communities that have benefited from the programme in the past 10 months.

The beneficiaries are full of praise for UNICEF for supporting the initiative, which focuses on engaging fathers in promoting positive health-seeking behaviours, particularly regarding maternal and child health—from conception to safe delivery at a health facility, while immunisation is not left out.

In Misau LGA, various communities and beneficiaries of the impactful activities of the Father4Health Support Group commemorated Father’s Day by commending the initiative and calling for more volunteers.

The UNICEF Bauchi Field Office led a team of journalists on a field visit to the LGA, where the Father4Health support group is performing excellently in promoting the healthcare service delivery system, particularly in the areas of maternal, newborn, and child health.

The team of journalists interacted with members of the Fathers for Good Health initiative, including a female supporter of the group who is a member of the Volunteer Community Mobiliser (VCM), Aishatu Isa.

Nura Aliyu, a father of two and a member of the fathers’ group in Misau, spoke about how things were before the initiative began.

He said that before the coming of the initiative, there was a lot of resistance to polio immunisation, low attendance at antenatal sessions by pregnant women, and many home deliveries, which sometimes resulted in health complications.

According to him, “Thanks to the Fathers for Good Health initiative, people now recognise the importance of going to the hospital, particularly pregnant women. Even our malnourished children have recovered.”

He stressed that, “Before now, there was a lot of resistance to immunisation. Most households were against immunising their newborns, and many pregnant women were not educated on attending antenatal or giving birth at a health facility.”

“All these issues have changed, and people are now exhibiting positive health attitudes,” he said.

Another member of the group, Ibrahim Mohammed, said that members usually engaged in sensitising fathers in the communities on the importance of improving the health of their families by allowing their children to be immunised.

He also stated that the group is engaged in ensuring that pregnant women attend antenatal care and give birth at healthcare facilities, adding that their efforts have yielded positive results.

Hajiya Aisha Yusuf, a supporter of the group, said that as a woman volunteer, she usually steps in where the fathers cannot go due to religious and cultural barriers.

According to her, “We are working together to ensure that access to healthcare services is brought closer to the people, particularly those in rural areas. We engage in education and advocacy.”

She disclosed that the situation has improved significantly across the local government area, as people have accepted the activities of the support group and ensure that their women and children access skilled healthcare services at facilities.

Turaki Goje, one of the beneficiaries of the activities of the support group, has now become a champion of access to quality healthcare service delivery in the local government.

According to him, “I have 20 children, aside from grandchildren. I was one of the people who opposed the immunisation of children because I grew up without receiving any form of immunisation, and I am still alive today.”

He added, “But members of the Father4Health support team visited my house several times. I sent them away each time, until one day I decided to listen to them and receive their message.”

“After listening carefully, I was convinced, and I immediately allowed all my children who were within the immunisation age to receive it. Today, I have healthy children and grandchildren in my family,” he stressed.

Turaki Goje commended UNICEF for the initiative and applauded the Misau LGA Chairman for adopting the programme, which has had a positive impact.

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